London
Green Belt Way 
London
Green Belt Way
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Stage 14
- Thames Chase
Forest Centre
to
Chafford
Hundred Station (11 miles)
Start: Grid Reference TQ5833386153 Post
Code RM14 3NS StreetMap
NOTE: Due to current construction, some previous access being changed and
current work improving access. I may revisit and change parts of this route (15
March 2023)
ROUTE
DESCRIPTION
The stage starts at the
Thames Chase Forest Centre, the headquarters of the
Thames Chase Community Forest. It was built on the site of
Broadfields Farm. The route passes through the old
Many of the original old farm buildings of
Broadfields Farm
have been preserved and put to use. The farmhouse is now offices. The 17th
Century barn has a cathedral like feeling from the inside. It has been fully
restored, is Grade 2 listed and is open to the public. It is one of the best
examples of a 400 year old
barn
in the country. Adjoining the barn is the
Forest Centre,
first opened in 2005, and rebuilt in 2009 after burning down due to a lightning
strike. This is an impressive triangular timber housing a
shop,
rooms for hire, cycle hire
and
has lots of activities and functions. The centre is mainly manned by
volunteers, it's
clean, it's
spacious and the products are environmentally friendly. From
it
you can admire the views of the surrounding
countryside and
watch the M25
trundle silently past in the distance.
Thames Chase
is one of thirteen
Community Forests
in
The forest comprises of seven areas and each area covers a number of different sites. In total there are 65 sites and these must take a lot of work to maintain and develop.
The blue headings below give a link to information about each Thames Chase area
this stage passes through. We did
pass through nine sites on the previous stage. To see a full list off all sites,
visit
Thames Chase
website and use the scroll down menu
"Where
to visit"
at Thames Chase.
You can also visit the
Thames Chase
page on Facebook, follow them at
Twitter
or read their
future vision.
Start facing the entrance to the Thames Chase Forest Centre and turn right for
just a few yards to the lane past the Forest Centre. Turn left along the lane
for just 30 yards. Turn right onto a path going south and just to the east of
the car park. After 15 yards turn right at a T-junction of paths and continue
straight on ignoring a path to the left after another 100 yards. Soon turn right
past a pond with a bench next to it to your RHS.
On approaching the lane turn left past an area of small
wooden carved animals.
Then follow a footpath through trees. The path veers left and then right and now
going directly west. Ignore any paths going off to the left until you reach a
road (Pike Lane at 0.33 miles).
Cross straight over Pike Lane, onto a footpath "227" going west along the LHS of a large open field and next to a ditch. On reaching the other side of the field, turn right, keeping the trees to the left. After another 50 yards turn left through a gap and into a second field. Follow the path straight on along edge of the field. At the corner turn right keeping the field edge to the left and now below a railway line.
After 160 yards turn left through a tunnel under the railway and then straight on across a field, soon past some trees with and lake in the centre to your LHS. At the other side of the field, go straight on along a narrow enclosed path. The path leads to a metal stile and into a small remembrance garden. Keep on straight then turn left into the main churchyard. Follow the path as it veers right through the churchyard to and out of the gate. Turn left along the lane ("The Chase"), signed "Cranham Marsh Nature Reserve", past Cranham Farm to your RHS, soon Cranham Hall to your LHS and straight on through a kissing gate next to a larger gate.
This small settlement is called Cranham. Less than half a mile to the north is a much larger and more modern town which also has the same name.
On turning along The Chase, to our right is Cranham Farm and within a few yards, to our left is Cranham Hall. The area around this small hamlet for almost a mile in every direction has been classified as a "Conservation Area".
The Cranham Hall estate dates back over 1,000 years to at least Saxon Times. The Parish Church of All Saints is recorded from as early as 1254 and although the building has changed greatly over the years, it still remains on its original site. The church we see today was rebuilt between 1873 and 1875 by architect Richard Armstrong for the then Lord of the Manor, Richard Benyon. Many of the monuments and relics of the older church were retained and can still be seen today.
There have been many houses on the site of Cranham Hall during the centuries. An
older house was rebuilt by Lord Petre around 1600. It was replaced by a new hall
in 1800 and still maintains a gateway dating from around 1520. The farm dates
back hundreds of years and although maintaining its original character is
divided into small industrial units.
Cranham Hall's
most famous resident was General
James Edward Oglethorpe
(1696
-
1785). He was born in
Thanks to his mother's
perseverance, James was educated at Eton and
He was a prolific reader, especially of classical literature and respected all
cultures and the rights of individuals. His education, reading, and upbringing
would lead to him becoming one of the world's
first real social reformers. He petitioned on the plight of ordinary sailors,
how they were badly treated and the difficulties they had to overcome to get
paid, if paid at all. This individual campaign cumulated in a pamphlet entitled
"The
Sailors'
Advocate"
and an Act of Parliament. Through
In 1728 his friend, architect and writer, Robert Castell was imprisoned at
"The
Fleet Prison"
(Wikipedia
entry) in London merely for bad debt after stretching his finances to complete a
book called
"Villas
of the Ancients". A bit like today the prisons were run
for profit and being unable to pay for a decent cell he was deliberately made to
share a cell with a smallpox sufferer and through exposure soon died of the
disease.
Oglethorpe had a lot of respect for Castell whose book would be a major
influence in Oglethorpe's
work when he later designed a new town in
In the
After securing a royal charter from the King and money from thirty two members
of the newly formed Georgia Trust he left from
He left
In 1744 he married Elizabeth Wright in Westminster Abbey. She was a Baroness and
heiress to Cranham Hall. They lived the rest of their lives between
Oglethorpe eventually lost his parliamentary seat in 1754. He tried, on a couple of occasions, to get re-elected, but failed.
In 1745 he faced court martial again, when he allowed the retreating Bonnie
Prince Charlie and his army to escape north to Scotland. Once again, he was
acquitted of all charges and although he was promoted to Major General, he was
never again employed by the Crown or given an official appointment.
Not to be kept out of military issues he travelled to Europe and fought as a
volunteer in the Prussian Army during the Seven Years War, alongside an old
friend from his day at the
In later life he continued to petition for British seamen and was involved in
the founding of the
`I know no man whose Life would be more interesting. If I were furnished with materials, I should be very glad to write it.'
Oglethorpe died on 30th June 1785 at Cranham Hall. His wife died two
years later. Both are buried in a vault beneath the chancel of All Saints
Church. There is a large memorial plaque to him on the south wall of the church.
James Oglethorpe was probably best summed up in "A Lecture given on 5th October 1996 in the Chapel of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, in the presence of the Governor of Georgia, the Hon. Zell Miller, and the members of the Oglethorpe Tercentenary Commission, by the President of Corpus Christi College, Sir Keith Thomas PBA". I can no longer find the link to the lecture.
Today, he is still honoured as a hero by the people of Georgia. A
statue
to the founder of Georgia sits in the middle of the main thoroughfare in
Savannah (another
in Augusta). Many place names and institutions still bear his name and many
people still come on pilgrimage to visit his homes in Surrey and Cranham and his
final resting place at All Saints Church.
To read the full history of the Cranham Hall estate from Saxon times until the mid 20th Century follow the link to "Chapter 2. The Manor of Bishop's Ockendon"
Go straight on, signed
F.P. No's
228 & 229, Ockendon Road and Pike Lane,
along a wide track between a wall and a fence. The
track
soon opens out with fields on both sides. Continue straight on, directly south
and after 0.3 miles
past a gate and along the edge of a wood to
your RHS (Spring
Wood). Now in
Cranham Marsh Nature Reserve.
Cranham Marsh
covers an area of 32 acres and, although owned by the London Borough of
Havering, is managed by the
Essex Wildlife Trust.
It is all that remains of a marshland habitat that once covered many square
miles of southern Essex, but which has now mostly been converted to arable
farmland. It contains a variety of habitats including marsh, sedge fen and
ancient woodland.
After another 130 yards where the path opens out, and at a Y-junction of paths,
veer right, soon to cross a footbridge over a stream. Then follow the path as it
turns right. Continue straight (directly west) for 350 yards, with a fence to
your RHS, to the end of the fence, where a path turns right to lead north. DO
NOT turn onto this path, go straight on for a short distance on a grass path,
then follow it as it then veers right to go diagonally across an open green
space.
At the opposite corner of the opening follow the path over a
footbridge then almost immediately turn left
to cross over the stream again via a second bridge. Once over, continue straight
on, through a wooden kissing gate, along a narrow path through trees and
adjacent to and past the
After 350 yards and with a school to the right follow the path as it turns left and after 100 yards comes to an open field. Turn right along the edge of the field, then eventually straight on along an enclosed path between houses (at 2 miles).
The footpath comes out in onto a residential road (Huntsman's
Drive). Turn left along the road and follow it for 120 yards. On approaching the
far end, cross the road then veer right, staying with the houses on the RHS and
keeping some trees to your left. Follow this as it narrows to a short enclosed
footpath which cuts through to a small layby next to
Turn left, and at end of layby cross straight over Ockendon Road, then left
along the pavement and almost immediately follow it as it turns right into
Sunnings Lane. There are now houses to your
right and a hedgerow across the road to your left.
The area around here is called Corbets
Tey and is part of the London Borough of Havering. The borough is the second
largest in
Sunnings Lane
is 0.9 miles long but is narrow and usually quiet. For the first 400 yards the
west side is lined with cottages backing onto open land. On the other side after
250 yards is Great Sunnings (for history, scroll down at the
link).
The house is surrounded by farmland and set back from the lane. It dates from
the 17th Century and is a
listed
building. Below is an extract from the
Museum of London's Archaeology Service
(MoLAS) suggesting this site was occupied during the Later Iron Age and then
early Roman period.
"During the Later Iron Age a pair of large, roughly rectangular defensive enclosures dominated the Great Sunnings Farm site. These were linked and had steep-sided ditches about 4m wide and 2m deep. People continued to live here during the early Roman period, dumping rubbish in the old ditches and digging wells or waterholes for stock. During the 2nd century a system of long narrow fields had been laid out across the site."
Just past the last cottage, on the west side is
Sullen's
Farm. The farmhouse dates from the 16th Century and is again a
listed
building.
Sunnings Lane,
although a quiet country lane, has been in the national news twice in recent
times. First in 1999 a local man was convicted of producing 50 million
pounds
in forged notes. The second and more recent was in September 2006 when a local
policeman saw a traffic warden writing a parking ticket for his car for parking
on the pavement. The policeman quickly ran home, put on his uniform, called
backup and arrested the warden for harassment. The local council as employees of
the warden complained and he wasn't
charged, but I don't
know if the policeman had to pay the fine.
Since then
Just a few years ago, through support from
Havering Residents' Association, the local Borough Council was
considering closing the lane to traffic and making the southern part below
Sullen's Farm pedestrian only. This would be
greatly beneficial to our route and, as mentioned in the link above and as shown
in the
photo,
would make this ancient lane less susceptible to the modern-day practice of
fly-tipping. Update on this 2018
-
Sunnings Lane has been plagued by fly-tipping in recent years and has recently
been made mostly pedestrian only (see
Upminster & Cranham Residents' Association).
The last half mile along the lane has only hedgerow and countryside on both
sides. Apart from the fly-tippers, other litter and a couple of electricity
pylons it is peaceful and scenic. There are a couple of opportunities to go
cross-country, but the lane seems to be the most obvious route.
A short distance to the east of
After
0.9 miles, at the southern end of Sunnings Lane, at junction, continue straight on, signed
Bramble Lane (and
past Dennises Lane to the left). TAKE CARE along here as there is
no pavement.
After 160 yards, and where the road turns sharp right, by concrete slabs with a
large
metal gate behind them, stay left past the
slabs and go through a narrow gap to the LHS of the metal gate and straight on
(south) along a wide track
-
Green Lane. (NOTE: At times the start of the
track can be blocked by skips and rubbish, if so, after going through narrow gap, immediately bear left into the woods. After very
short distance turn right along track through corridor of trees and over earth
'bump' at the end to open area. Turn right for a short distance, then turn left
along wide track. The obstruction has now been bypassed and you are back on the
track continuing south).
After 300 yards the track divides into two, running south and parallel to each
other, follow the
safest
one. 420 yards later cross straight over a wide
track, then after another 260 yards, as the main track turns sharp right, go
straight on along a bridleway.
After 40 yards turn right, at a crossroads of paths, and off the now main track,
signed
"Footpath 264"
to Belhus Park (be sure not to miss this). Then just
before a gate to a field turn left over a stile onto
"Footpath
246"
to Belhus Park. Follow the narrow path directly south
-
a small stream and trees
are to the left; an open field is to the right through the hedgerow.
Just a thought, and I believe it's
worth mentioning. At the point where our route leaves the main track / bridleway
through Belhus Park the track veers right and continues for half a mile, between
and just south of some old gravel pits, now lakes. However, from above looking
at the landscape this track seemed to have once continued to where the M25
motorway is now and then go eastwards through South Ockendon and beyond (see map).
At the same point, where we leave the main track, another old route appears to
go south (almost identical to the path we follow) to Aveley.
I have read some references about
After 220 yards, follow the path over a footbridge and then straight on at a junction of paths and into the woods. In 160 yards the path comes out onto a wide track / lane. Turn left and after just a few yards, go right (at 4 miles) and continue south, eventually to a gate.
Belhus Woods Country Park covers 310 acres and has a diverse
landscape of woodlands, grasslands and lakes. There are 140 acres of managed
deciduous woodlands, most of which is ancient. One section uses the ancient
management practice of
"coppicing"
based on an eight year cycle of hazel which is cut for traditional crafts
including thatching, hurdles and hedge laying.
The park has four lakes formed from previous gravel extraction. Two are set
aside as conservation areas for wildlife and informal recreation such as walking
or bird watching, the other two provide good quality fishing.
There are many facilities here including a cafe and visitor centre. There are disabled facilities, ample parking, fenced off children's play areas, picnic and barbecue areas and many miles of footpath, bridleway and cycle paths. On site clubs include model boating, model plane, model railway, archery and junior league football. There is an events programme of activities and courses. These include the annual American Civil War re-enactment after Easter each year, "Mayhem" funs days in June, botany courses, woodland craft courses and guided walks.
The route goes straight through the middle of the park. The visitor centre is
only a short distance to the west along the lane in the middle of the park and
the lakes are just east. For more information visit
Thames Chase
also see
link.
Go through the metal kissing gate next to the gate and straight on and south
across
Belhus Chase.
The path continues south across the Chase for half a mile (with the hedgerow to
your RHS) to come to another metal kissing gate. Go through the gate and
straight on into a thick wood. The path through the wood is narrow and you must
take care from overhanging trees. At a junction of paths take the left fork.
Shortly to the left, through a metal fence, golfers can be seen teeing off on a
hole of Belhus Park Golf Club. After another 260 yards turn left through a gap
in the fence to the golf course, then turn left to pass the teeing area and
veer diagonally right to
a hedge gap (waymarker post there) then straight down the edge of the fairway
due south. NOTE: Please be wary of the golfers as it is easy to distract them or
to get hit by a golf ball.
The route leaves the park by passing through the metal stile next to a gate. The footpath continues directly south across Belhus Chase. Formally a deer park and arable land, the Chase was acquired by the Woodland Trust in 1998. The Trust is doing much work to convert the area into a traditional parkland setting through new areas of woodland planting and meadow creation.
The park was once a large country estate surrounding
Belhus Mansion.
The Tudor style red brick mansion was built around 1520 by John Barrett and is
thought to have been built on or near the site of an older house. The Manor of
Belhus gets its name from a previous owner Nicholas de Belhus, great, great
grandfather of John Barrett, who acquired the property in the late 14th
Century. It became the family seat of their descendents the Barrett-Lennards. In
the mid 18th Century, Thomas Barrett-Lennard, 17th Baron
Dacre (1717-1786), commissioned landscape gardeners Lancelot Capability Brown
and Richard Woods to redesign the park.
On the
Thurrock History Website
you can read part of an interview from 17th May 2005 with a then
surviving member of the Barrett-Lennard family, 90 years old Father Sir Hugh
Dacre Barrett-Lennard, 6th baronet (died 2007).
During the First World War a large tented army camp was set up in the park in
April 1915 and occupied by troops. The soldiers lived in the tents while the
officers lived in the mansion.
The family estate was broken up in 1922 and was sold off to the local councils
and the Woodland Trust.
In 1982 this section of the M25 was completed and cut the park and Capability
Brown's
long pond in two. Two footbridges were built over the motorway giving pedestrian
access between the two sections. In 2003, thanks to a group of local residents,
a grant from the
Heritage Lottery Fund and support from the Thames Chase
Partnership a
Belhus Park Heritage Trail was established. This is a two
and a half mile circular walk which follows the boundary of the old
At
Thurrock Museum
in Greys there is a
painting
of Belhus House and Park from around 1710 on display. Also, you can visit the
Belhus section at
Wikipedia
for more information.
After 360 yards, follow the path as it goes through the fence to leave the golf course and exits Belhus Park onto Park Lane, Aveley (at 5 miles).
Belhus Park Golf and Country Club is just along the lane to the left. It is run by Impulse Leisure and includes a clubhouse, driving range, health & fitness club and football pitches.
Turn right to follow Park Lane south. After 250 yards, and immediately after the
entrance to
Parkside Stadium. bear left along a cycle track /
footpath. Then just 50 yards later take the footbridge to cross over the B1335
(Aveley Bypass). Once over go straight on along the southern half of Park Lane
staying on the RHS.
On reaching the T-junction at the end of
Aveley
for many centuries was a small village. However, after World War II with the
building of new housing to take some of the overspill from
Aveley is built on higher ground above the marshland of the Mar Dyke stream. Its
name seems to have been derived from the Saxon
"Aelfgyth's
leah"
-
"Aelfgyth"
being the name of woman at the time who probably owned the settlement, and
"leah"
meaning a forest clearing or meadow. However, there are also references to
Aelfgyth
being derived from Viking.
In 1248 Stephen de Langton, Lord of Aveley Manor, granted the village a weekly
market on a Monday. This went on for over 100 years and became one of the
busiest in the area. An annual three day fair was also granted by Bartholomew
Brinson, in 1286 which continued for over fifty years. During these
To the left just before The Old Ship Inn is the ancient
Church of St Michael,
parts of which are thought to date back to Saxon times. Within it there are many
memorials and tombs to well-known people of the area,
including the de Belhus and Barrett-Lennard families of Belhus Park. A brass
from 1370 is of medieval knight in armour, Radulphus de Knevynton who appears on
the
"Thurrock
Coat of Arms".
The Old Ship Inn on the junction of the High Street and Ship Lane dates from around 1754. However, there was a pub called the Swan on this site as early as 1498. The Crown & Anchor is just a short distance west on the north of the High Street and dates from 1618. It is also the founding place of one of the UK's oldest bands, the Aveley and Newham Band, formed in 1894 and still going strong today.
On 27th July 1964 just north of Sandy Lane, Aveley (just north of the
B1335 to the west of the town), in a gravel pit near Sandy Lane Farm, bones of
prehistoric mammals were found including the skeleton of a
straight tusked elephant immediately overlain by those of a
woolly mammoth.
They date back to c200,000 years ago and are on display in the
Natural History Museum
in
Below is an excerpt from a book
"Essex
Rock - Look Beneath the Essex Landscape" by Gerald Lucy which
used to be available
on the Internet. Pages 86 & 87 have the story of the Aveley Elephants and a very
early cat:
"Over thirty years later, in 1997,
a nearby road cutting for the A13 exposed the same sediments and Aveley again
found itself with nationwide press coverage. The reason this time was the first
discovery in
Follow Ship Lane out into the countryside and after 0.4 miles over the A13 trunk
road (at 6 miles). Stay straight on along Ship Lane for another 350 yards then
turn left onto a bridleway signed
"Mardyke Way". The bridleway follows the valley
at a short distance north of the
Follow the Mardyke Way Path for almost half a mile to and under the M25 road bridge. Continue straight on soon passing under the A13 road bridge (at 7 miles), then straight again along an enclosed path with a wood to the left and a fence to the right with the river a short distance away and below.
The name Mardyke means "boundary ditch". For most of the water course it formed the ancient Saxon boundary between the Essex hundreds of Barstable and Chafford.
The Mardyke Valley
is an important wildlife corridor linking Purfleet and Rainham Marshes to the
Fens at Bulphan and Orsett. Low lying areas of the valley act as a flood-plain
for the surrounding areas as can be seen at the links to photos on
Geograph.
The
Mardyke Way
was opened in 2007 as part of the Thames Chase Community Forest. It runs from
Ship Lane in Aveley to Fen Lane, Bulphan. There are pleasant views along its
seven mile walk on footpaths and bridleways. It is managed by Thames Chase and
due to recent funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other sponsors the
Mardyke Valley
Project began in the early 2010s. The Project aimed to surface the path,
increase access, extend access to the Thames and protect and improve the habitat
and wildlife of the area. Another important element was to increase usage of the
valley by the local community and raise awareness of the rich heritage of the
area. This is being achieved by holding free events and activities in the valley
and educational sessions for local schools. Information about these events and
activities can be sought from
Thames Chase.
The route stays with the
Mardyke Way
for just under two miles, but there's
a lot to see in this short distance. Travelling along the path, look right
across the green peaceful valley with the river meandering through it, yet one
just needs to raise their eyes a little to realise a sense of entrapment with
major road systems, industry and urbanisation all around. The
bridges
in the distance carry the different parts of the
M25 motorway
across the valley
-
our route goes under them. On approaching there is a feeling of being able to
reach up and wave at the vehicles as they pass. However, the scale is so huge it's
deceptive. After leaving this long tunnel like structure behind there is little
time to recover before being faced with what seems to be the same all over
again. This time it's
the A13 which towers over above. Almost immediately to the left and thankfully
out of sight is
M25 junction 30
where they meet. However, on looking closely at a
map the intersection does extend over both bridges we walk
under and explains why they are so wide.
The Valley is a green oasis amongst these urban land uses. Wildlife abounds in
the area, including rare water voles, badgers, glow worms, bats and numerous
bird and butterfly species.
From here the path follows an enclosed track with the valley to the right and
Mardyke Woods
to the left. The woods are one of the oldest in
The path follows the edge of the wood for 0.65 miles. Then turn right with the path and after 80 yards turn left towards a large viaduct. Follow the path under the viaduct and 30 yards later turn right to cross a footbridge over the river. Once over, go straight on along the centre path (staying just to the right of the trees and a pond) and through Davy Down.
The path passes under
Stifford Viaduct
just a short distance before the footbridge over the river. This impressive
railway viaduct was built across the Mardyke Valley in 1892, and with the river
now next to the path, it's
not an unpleasant site to walk under.
The viaduct carries the railway between Chafford Hundred and South Ockendon stations. It has 14 brick arches and was built to take a double track, However, only a single track was laid. Thankfully, this is not a busy line, but from the viaduct the passengers do get great views over the Mardyke Valley and Davy Down.
Davy Down Riverside Park and covers an area of 32 acres.
From at least 1730 the land was farmed and more recently used for market
gardening. The site was acquired by Thurrock Council in 1985 to allow the
building of the A13 trunk road. The road split the land in two and in 1993 this
half was opened to the public. As well as a cafe (currently closed, June 2020)
there is also an information centre and the well preserved
Stifford Pumping Station,
built in 1927 and still extracting water through a 150 feet deep borehole in the
chalk below. Look out for the
murals,
sculptures
and other
artwork
around the pumping station and the park.
From the link above, to Thurrock Council, you can see that over the last few
years there has been lots of upgrades at Davy Down, making it more accessible
and disabled friendly. It states:
"The site is owned by Essex and Suffolk Water and Thurrock Council and the area became a riverside park in 1993. All footpaths are suitable for wheelchair users. Seating is located every 200 meters and a change of surface highlights the location of resting points for the visually impaired visitor. All seating areas are surfaced and designed so wheelchair users to sit next to family and friends."
The Land Trust took on the management of Davy Down in 2015, and works in
partnership with Essex & Suffolk Water and the Davy Down Trust to manage the
site. The link to the trust's
website
has a map, some great photos and lots more information.
There are many aerial videos taking by drones, I'll
give you a link to two the first at YouTube
captures the area around Davy Down. The second at
YouTube
captures Davy Down, the Mardyke Valley and all the surrounding areas as far as
the River Thames and beyond.
After 400 yards veer left onto the road (Back Lane) and past a car park entrance
to your RHS. Follow Back Lane up to exit Davy Down.
Cross straight over road (Pilgrims Lane, B186) and turn right along the
pavement. After just a few yards turn left, past metal barriers, onto cycle
track / footpath and follow for 250 yards to residential road (Guardian Avenue).
Stay straight on following the pavement
-
houses to LHS and a green to RHS.
This small housing development is named Stifford Green and it does have some
history. In 1901 a home for children was established here by the Stepney Board
of Guardians. According to
"The Workhouse":
"In 1901 the Stepney Guardians erected a group of children's cottage homes on an 86-acre green-field site at Stifford in Essex. The scheme was designed by Frank Baggally. The homes, which could accommodate 200 boys and girls, were arranged in a south facing arc ...
At the centre of the arc were a
central water tower and workshops separating the boys' houses at the east and the girls' at the west. A T-shaped receiving
block lay at the eastern entrance to the site and an infirmary at the far west.
A memorial at the south of the
houses recorded those who died in the First World War.
In 1930, the school was taken over by the London County Council and in 1935 became a boys' Approved School, also known as Ardale School. The majority of the school buildings have now been demolished and the site, now named Guardian Avenue, has been converted to residential use."
North Stifford Village provides some extra information on the
area.
"The Stepney
Children's Home was set up in 1902 to accommodate both orphaned and poor
children from that London district. It is believed that there was a theme of
agricultural training work, and nearby fields were used for growing a range of
market garden crops.
By 1935 the site
had changed its roll into an 'approved' school, changing again in 1959 to a
Community Home (education) under the control of the London Borough of Newham.
It finally closed in 1994.
'Ardale' gets its name from a previous Lord of the Manor of Stifford, John Ardalle, who lived here in the 16th century."
All that survives today is the water tower (now offices). A war memorial,
erected to the boys who died during the First World War, sits on the edge of the
green overlooking the road and across from it is a white house which was once
the school principal's
home.
After 440 yards Guardian Avenue comes to a T-junction with Clockhouse Lane. Turn
right and at the end cross the
footbridge over dual carriageway (A13). Once
over follow the lane past
Harvester Pub using RHS pavement.
On reaching road (A1306) turn right for just a few yards, then left to cross
over using the staggered pelican crossing.
Then go straight on along cycle track /
footpath.
After 250 yards out onto Drake Road. Turn right staying on RHS pavement. Soon
over the entrance to Edmund Road. Then after another 45 yards, and soon after
the last house, turn right through gap in wooden fence and across car park at
Chafford Gorges. Stay to RHS of car park. At opposite side go straight over
cycle track to visitor centre.
Turn right past visitor centre on a path to Warren Gorge
-
the path zig zags downhill. After 400 yards, at bottom of gorge, take left fork.
The rule of thumb down here is to always stay left each time you reach a
junction of paths. This takes you around the whole gorge and back out after
another 0.6 miles.
Inside the gorge there are good views of the chalk cliffs and the lakes, small beeches, plus seats and picnic tables. It's very pleasant and difficult to believe the closeness of the hustle & bustle of the modern day which surrounds it.
Warren Gorge is the largest of five gorges that make up the Chafford Gorges
Nature Park (see
map).
Together they cover a total area of 200 acres. The
Chafford Gorges Nature Discovery Centre
has a cafe?,
information about the park,
parking and a picnic area.
According to
Thurrock Council:
"Much of the local area is formed from chalk, deposited from 97 to 65 million years ago, at the bottom of a tropical sea, which was around 300 metres higher than today. The sea retreated which allowed erosion of the resulting land surface before a shallower sea was re-established 60 million years ago, when Thanet Sand was deposited. A guide to a geology trail is available from the visitor centre."
"From the 18th Century until the end of the 1950s a large part of Chafford Hundred was extensively quarried for Brickearth to make bricks, gravel and chalk, with flint as a side product. They were used to produce lime for mortar, whitewash and from 1870s cement. The nature park was created within the disused quarries with the Chafford Hundred housing development built around the edges."
You can read more about Chafford Gorges at
Thames Chase
and at
Wikipedia.
For a
"geology
site account"
see
The Essex Field Club and to watch a video of Warren Gorge
from above visit
YouTube.
There is also an interesting article about shelters and tunnels at
Subterranea Britannica.
Exit Warren Gorge via a metal kissing gate and turn sharp left onto a footpath
next to a cycle track (at 10 miles). Follow this (mainly south) for 320 yards.
It then turns right. Then after just 35 yards, at crossroads of paths / cycle
tracks, turn left (now going south again).
Follow this for 460 yards to just past a children's
play area at (Chafford Hundred Park) and just before a mini roundabout. Turn
right to cross over Rainbow Road and go through a wooden kissing gate, by
Chafford Gorges Board, and into woods (Mill Wood).
Follow enclosed path across Mill Wood (woods to RHS and wire fence to LHS),
eventually down some steps and soon to a cycle path. Turn right along the cycle
route for a short distance to path junction. Then left and out onto residential
road (Saffron Road). Cross over and turn right along the pavement. Follow for
400 yards, past two roundabouts to Chafford Hundred Station.
Before leaving this stage, I'd
like to thank Robert Teer for his help in finalising the route through Belhus
Woods Country Park and Chafford Hundred.
To get to the start of the next stage, you have a few choices:
1.
At
Chafford Hundred Railway Station catch the X80 bus (Bus
information for X80).
It crosses over the QE2 Bridge and stops at Stone Crossing (Crossways
Boulevard). This is by the start of stage 15 (see
map).
The bus journey takes about 15 minutes.
2.
Arrange a mini-cab
- this maybe expensive.
3.
Travel by car north from station,
straight on at first two roundabouts. At roundabout with A1306, turn left signed
M25. Then south along the M25 and over the QE2 Bridge. Stay in the left-hand
lane at the toll booths and take the first exit (A206). This leads to a
roundabout
- take the 2nd exit, signed
Crossways. Go straight over at next two roundabouts and at third take the third
exit.
4.
If you are on a
push-bike and wish to cross the river, then there is a free cycle service. For
details see the
LINK.
Whichever transport you take, as you travel west along the A13 and south along
the M25 back over the valley. Look down on the pleasant green Mardyke Valley
corridor below with the peaceful path ambling gently through it, whilst the rest
of the world passes over it at speed.
The
Queen Elizabeth II Bridge
towers over everything around it. It carries the M25 south and over the Thames
to Kent. It is almost 2 miles long and in the centre is 200 feet above the river
to allow large ships to pass under. When opened, by The Queen in 1991, it was
the longest cable-stayed bridge in
I've
few regrets we are not permitted to walk over it - we'd
have to close off one of the lanes. Maybe we would be allowed to walk through
the
Dartford Tunnel,
below, which takes M25 traffic northbound from
From the bridge the views are breathtaking.
The Thames Estuary with the remains of its huge docks and industries lie below
and into the distance. The channel tunnel rail link comes at an angle from the
northwest, goes over the Dartford Tunnel exit, under the bridge and travels less
than half a mile further before disappearing into a tunnel under the
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